One of the three Pussy Riot members released

October 10, 2012

The Russian appeals court kept the two-year sentence for two members of the punk band, Pussy Riot, after the protest against Vladimir Putin that landed all three members in jail for hooliganism occurred, according to Reuters. However, one member, Yekaterina Samutsevich was set free.

The three women were convicted this past August after their protest in front of the Moscow's cathedral in February for the country to get rid of Putin. The three have repeatedly said their demonstration was for political reasons and did not mean to offend those who belong to the church, the media outlet reports.

This past Wednesday, the group argued against their two year sentence for the offense. Samutsevich spoke for her other members, Maria Alekhina and Nadezhda Tolokonnikova, when she was released, according to The Associated Press.

"If we unintentionally offended any believers with our actions, we express our apologies," said Samusevich. "The idea of the protest was political, not religious," Samustevich told the news source. "In this and in previous protests we acted against the current government of the president, and against the Russian Orthodox Church as an institution of the Russian government, against the political comments of the Russian patriarch. Exactly because of this I don't consider that I committed a crime."

Samustevich will now be campaigning and fighting for her other two members to be released.

"Of course, I will, naturally. They are my friends and companions in arms," Samusevich, who at 30 is the oldest of the three, told the media. "As to the decision, I don't know why, you need to ask the court. I think this was thanks to the defense's ironclad arguments."

The court date was postponed last week due to Samustevich firing her lawyers. Her new lawyer was the reason she was able to get the suspended sentence. The women have been quite open about their opinions throughout the process.

"I don't consider myself guilty. But again I ask all those who are listening to me for the last time: I don't want people to be angry at me: Yes, I'm going to prison, but I don't want anyone to think that there is any hatred in me," Tolokonnikova told the news source.